Spring control



Sept. 16, 1930. E BAGNALLk 1,775,88

SPRING CONTROL Filed Nov, 4I 1925 Zz, ,2f 6

M "mmm Y Patented Sept. 16, 193()4 ferrite stares erster cFFicE vEDWINBAGNALL, 0F TORONTO, GNTARIO, CANADA SPRING CONTROL Application filedNovember 4, 1925. Serial No. 88,858.

1Y0 applied to a spring without necessitating the dismantling of anypart of the vehicle to which the springs are applied or of the springsfrom the vehicle. v y

A further object is 4to provide an attach- 15, ment for'leaf springsadapted to increase pressure between leaves of such a spring when thespring is flexed by the application of a load thereto, and which willmodify the lflexionjof such spring under such circumstances ina mannerreducing the tendency of thesprin'g to oscillate or vibrate undesirably,as is usual Vin spring constructions ordinarily used in vehicles. rlheinvention is of a specialbeneiit when applied to the springs of vehiclesequipped with balloon tires and is intended to overcome theobjectionable rocking 'of a vehicle which is characteristic of theuse'of balloon tires.

Still further objects ,subsidiary to or resulting from theaforesaidobjects, or from the construction or operation of the inven- :tion as itmay be carried into effect, will become apparent as the said inventionis hereinafter further disclosed.

a ln carrying the said invention into effect I may provide a more orless resilient lever fulcrumed on a strap or member adapted to embrace aleaf 'spring proximate to one end thereof, the said lever being providedat either end nwith bearing members adapted to rest on the leaves of thespring to set up a ,pressure between two or more of the said leaves ofthe spring, andgmeans whereby the :pressure'of the said bearingA membersmay be adjusted. l All of which is more particularly described andascertained hereinafter, by way of eX- ample, having referenceto theaccompanying drawing, wherein-F i 'Figure 'l is an illustration inafragmentary manner of part of a vehicle provided with a transverse leafspring to which my improved spring control is applied;

Figure 2 similarly illustrates a downwardly bowed semi-elliptic sprinoequipped with the said controlling means;

Figure 3 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line SEK-Q,Figure l;

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line Ll-X ll, Figure l; Figure 5is a similar view taken on the line 3X-5", Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the lever element of thecontrol device, Figure l, removed;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of a leaf spring showing a modified formof control device applied thereto;

Figure 8 is a similar view illustrating a still further modification ofthe device;

Figure 9 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 9*-9X, Figure 7;

Figure l0 is a similar view taken on the line 10X-1O Figure 8;

Figure l1 is a detail perspective view of the 75 lever element of thedevice, Figure 7, removed, and

Figure l2 is a similar View of the lever element of the device, Figure8.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the severalfigures of the drawing.

l is an upwardly bowed leaf spring, the longer leaves 2, 3 and l ofwhich are directly infiuenced by the controlling means, one of which isshown as applied to each end portion of the said leaf spring l and eachof which devices comprises a clip or strap 5 embracing the leaf spring,in the present instance at a point adjacent the end of the leaf 4. rllhevertical dimensions of the said strap are substantially greater than thevertical dimensions of the spring at this point, so that a. space isprovided between the upper transverse portion 5a of the said strap and95 the upper surface of the leaf i of the sprinOf, and through thisspace a lever 6 extends, the said lever being indicated as beingrecessed at 7a for fulcrumed engagement with the transverse member 51 ofthe said strap 5, and 100 the said recess preventing endwisedisplacement of the lever relevant to the said strap.

It is proposed tomake the lever of they same material as the leaves ofthe spring, although somewhat heavier, so that it has a resilientquality, and at opposite ends of the said lever I arrange bearingmembers in the formY ofa bally 7 and set screw Y8,'th'e latterfbein'gvady justable in ther said lever to increase or decrease thepressure of the bearing members on the leaf spring and provided wit-h alockV nut 9 to secure it in adjusted positions.

The bearing member 7 rests on the end portion-of the leaf 3 of thespring andthe bean' ing member 8 on theend portion of the super` imposedleaf'll thereof so that it will be seen a late 'or vibrate vin themanner.which ordif narlly produces an undesirablerockingmotion ina vehicle,which motion is especially I apparent in vehicles provided :with balloontires, land'this tendency toy rockvaries with vdiffereriees in theweight and design of ve.

hicles and of the springs, and the adjustment referred to allows of thedevice being setl to meet the degree of such tendency to becounteracted. I Y Np The pressing together l'of the `leaves ofthe springin` this 'manner yis not, however,`the Yonlyfactor whichenters into thedamping acvvtion of the device, as there are also setup i spring whichmodify the flexion of the spring points of contact between the deviceand the .when itis subject to aload, and by pressing v v,upon `thespring Vintermediate `of `its points 1 of support and attachment to thevehiclethe device causes adeiiexion of the spring about the `device.which Vis somewhat in the nature ing reaction of the spring beyond itsnormal Y ii-conditionk upon therebound after a loadk has. ybeen appliedto and removedtherefrom. It 'is this reaction which is responsible forthe IVobjectionable rocking which itis the object Y ofV this inventionto overcome.`

" vIn lFigure 2 downwardly bowed semielliptic springl() is shown. -Thelonger `leaves 11,112 and 13 are subjected to the controlling' actionVof agdevice similarto that shown in Figure '1, exceptV that itk isinverted, the `transversel member 5c of the strap'being Vspaced Stm j toembrace L leaf 1' s vfrom theundersideof the said spring and theluillgage'ieaf fY Said.,

' fllever f'passing over the'said transverse mem- Figure Y7.v

`Vend supportsforsaidlever., Y. ,Y y Sprmggfdampmg means" comprisingla lcated Said? level 1 estendingrl members at each end but in the form ofballs v 17 and 18, pressure of the saidbear'ingmembers against theleaves of the springbemg regulated by the said setscrew 15 of thev ,l t

strap y141. v v Y Y ln the arrangement shown in Figure'S-the strap 14 isinverted from the position shown in Figure 7' so that the set screw 15is on the same side ofthe spring as the lever 19 which in this case issuitably recessed for the accommodation of the inner end ofthe set screwat QO'anduis provided with ball bearing members 17 and18 as in thearrangement shown in In each of i ballv bearing 'member solthat slidingfriction 'between the bearing members a-ndfthe'leaves en of the springin action is reduced to a'miniymum.` ,t 4 a rEhe simplicity ofthe/device froml a manu- Y Y these cases the "lever is suitably"recessed as at 21 for the retention of the ball,

fact-tiring'standpoint'is veryapparent vand its` application toa springmaybe easily eiectedf by simply passing they stra-p overv the thinjendofthefspring and thenfmovingthestrap f i 'tothe' position which itis to occupy,:enter-k ving the lever' into the strap, placing `the ballbearing member or members in position and* finally tightening thesetscrewtosecure the` desired vpressure of the bearing-.members on ltheleaves` ofthe spring.' Y

f l This invention may be developedwithinthe' v N y scope; of thefollowing claims without 1de# parting. from the l'essential featuresofthe said invention, and'itis desired that thespecii-y 'lvcationeanddrawingjbe read kas merelygillusside of a vehicle spring, afcontinuouslfonepiece rigid. lever supported Q intermediate vits ends bysaid strap and extending longitudiside thereof oppositev that,engagedfby the ,supported-intermediateits endsbysaid strap nlnspa'cedrelationfto Vthejside ofthesprin'g Y y*which theauxiliaryleaves'thereofrarelo# Y1.A Spring damping mean'scomprising a4vstrap adapted to embrace and engage; one

-trative and ynot in. a limiting-sense, except y- :asnecessitate'dbythe'priorartg j, f f Vhat'Ivclaim is:- l. 'f of a counterflexing and sets up forces retardnally of said sp'ringin spacedrelationv to the Y .i

strap, the ends of said lever having support vfrom said side' of lsaid;spring, and means "for, adjustably. regulating thexpressure VVexerted .tbysaid lever upon said springfthroughxthe engendra-my am, a

ion ,Y

111iv i ias of the spring, bearing members at the ends of said lever toengage the end portions of the auxiliary leaves, and means foradjustably regulating the force to Which said bear= ing members engagesaid levers. Y

3. Spring damping means characterized as' in claim 2, and wherein atleast oneof said bearing members is in the form of a ball capable ofrestricted rolling movement be tween said lever and spring.

4. In combination with a laminated leaf spring, damping means comprisinga strap l embracing the spring and bearing upon the Vmain leaf thereof,a rigid lever inserted through the loop of said strap and engagedtherewith intermediate its ends, said lever extending longitudinally ofthe spring in spaced relation to the side of the spring at which theauxiliary leaves are located, abutments at the ends of said lever toengage the end portions of the auxiliary leaves of the spring, and meansfor adjusting at least one of said abutments to vary the pressureexerted by the lever against said auxiliary leaves.

5. The combination with a laminated leaf spring, of damping meanscomprising a split strap embracing said spring With its split endsbearing upon the main leaf of the spring,

a rigid lever passing through the loop of said strap and supportedthereby intermediate its ends With said lever extending longitudinallyof the spring in spaced relation to the side-ofthe spring at which theauxil- 35 iary leaves are located, a ball abutment carried by one end ofsaid lever to engage an end portion of an auxiliary leaf, and anadjustable'member for engaging an end portion of another auxiliary leafand adapted to 40 rock said bar upon said strap and regulate thepressure exerted by said lever upon said auxiliary leaves.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

EDWIN BAGNALL.

